This page is being redesigned and will be added to the site in
the near future. For now, the original story is below. The new page is being
redesigned to equal the current "enhanced" stories on the 1979-1985, '91-92,
2001 and 2005 pages.

The 2000 Chicago Bears
by Roy Taylor, www.BearsHistory.com

Just how can one properly summarize the Chicago Bears 2000
season? How can a team that entered training camp with such high expectations
play so terribly for the majority of a season? The team ended the 1999 season
on a high note, clinched some inspired victories, had a young quarterback that
showed promise in several games, and had the most money in the NFL to spend on
free agency. The problems that would lead to a dismal 5-11 finish for a team
that was expected to reach the playoffs began not too long after the 1999
season ended.

Shortly after Chicago's loss to Tampa Bay on January 2, 2000,
Coach Dick Jauron explained to the media that the club was lacking "team
speed", and more players that can score points. As the free agency period
opened in February, Mark Hatley was determined to make an impact for a team
that sorely lacked impact players. Hatley signed defensive end Phillip Daniels
from Seattle on the first day of free agency, awarding a five-year, $22 million
contract to a second-tier player from the Seahawks. One day later, he signed
cornerback Thomas Smith away from Buffalo for five years and $20 million. It
can be argued that these two players were signed because the best available at
their positions, Simeon Rice and Ashley Ambrose, either re-signed or had a
franchise tag placed on them. Clearly, Hatley was sinking full faith in the
Bears future into these players, along with his first two first round picks,
Curtis Enis and Cade McNown. These four players would need to make a dramatic
impact, or the team would be strapped with their salary-cap implications for
the forseeable future.

Also during the offseason, Coach Jauron made another
announcement that would prove pivotal for the 2000 season. Although he did
state that there would be an open competition for the starting quarterback job,
he also annoited Cade McNown number one going into camp. For this reason, many
fans have questioned exactly how "open" the competition really was. It doesn't
seem like it was open at all. In the April draft, the Bears would be selecting
ninth. Observers expected to select Virginia RB Thomas Jones or MSU WR Plaxico
Burris if they were available, or New Mexico "Freak" Brian Urlacher if he fell
to them. Early reports on draft day stated that Mark Hatley had offered
Philadelphia one of the Bears' third round picks in order to trade up and
select Burris, but he was rebuffed. Chicago then stood pat and selected
Urlacher. Let the record reflect that in his rookie season, Burris was a
complete bust, while Urlacher gained rookie of the year honors.

Things seemed indeed to look improved for the Bears in
training camp and the first two preseason games. The defense looked improved,
Cade McNown actually looked like an NFL quarterback, and the offense gained
yards as well as scoring points. Until after halftime of the team's third
preseason game at Cincinnati, Chicago looked unstoppable. However, at that
point, the team began to regress. McNown began once again throwing eratically
without setting his feet, the receivers dropped balls, and the defense looked
porous. Once again, questions remained as the Bears opened the season at
Minnesota.

On September 3rd in the Metrodome, an inspired Bears team led
the Vikings 20-9 midway through the third quarter. Minnesota was starting the
year with untested QB Daunte Culpepper, whom the Bears had bypassed picking
because Cade McNown was more NFL-ready. On a long touchdown run by Robert Smith
late in the third quarter, Chicago fans watched the Bear's promising season
come to an end after not even three full quarters of regular season football.
Randy Moss beat Thomas Smith on a long pass and Culpepper ran for two
touchdowns as the Bears lost 30-27. As the Bears lost game after game in route
to a 1-7 start, quarterback McNown looked worse and worse. His slide was
apparent to everyone in the NFL, especially Bears fans whose chants for MILLER!
MILLER! MILLER! grew by the week. However, Coach Jauron continued to tell the
team and the public that McNown "gives the team the best chance to win," a
remark he would admit was incorrect at the end of the season. McNown continued
to start until he sustained a separated shoulder at Philadelphia on October
22nd. Jim Miller was given his first chance on that day, but was unable to
rally the team from a deficit due to the fact that he had taken virtually zero
practice snaps as the second string QB all season-another indictment of the
coaching staff. On November 5th, Miller started his first game and lit up a
heavily-favored Colts team in a 30-27 victory. That score is deceiving in that
the Bears led 27-0 in the third quarter.

Miller started the next week at Buffalo, determined to lead
the Bears to the playoffs after a 1-7 start under McNown. In the second
quarter, as Miller and the offense began to click, the QB rolled right, headed
for a first down, then promptly blew out his achilles tendon. With Millers leg
went the chances for a respectable Bears season. Backup journeyman Shane
Matthews started 5 of the last six games, winning three of them, and McNown
made a horiffic 9-for-29 appearance in an embarassment in San Francisco. The
team finished on a high note in Detroit by beating the Lions there for the
first time since 1993 on a last-second Paul Edinger field goal. Many questions
remain in Chicago for the 2001 season, one of which is not the fate of the head
coach. Team President Ted Phillips stated that "Coach Jauron has all the
intangibles to lead this team, and does a good job in motivating the players to
keep playing for him." Sad fact is that it's become a job requirement for the
head coach in Chicago to be able to motivate his players to keep playing after
the playoffs are far out of reach. Unfortunately, there is not an end to this
trend in sight.